Sequel Thingy
by The Sleepy Wolf
Summary: It's college time for Bella! Bella and Alice are finally together but with Bella's luck, something's got to go wrong. AH, language, and I'll try and shove some fluff in. Sequel to Too Close.
1. Chapter 1

**My goddamn internet was cut off! Ten days without internet, those sons of whore, dickhead bastards. Though without the internet on, I read six books - all of them being at least over 400 pages long - had the best nights sleep I've had for months, got some shit fixed, and finally got the sofa replaced. We're enslaved to the internet, don't deny it, and we waste quite a lot of our lives in front of it. And it's not like we can escape it. Even when we leave our computers' we have our phones with us, which aren't really phones and more teeny tiny laptops. We're chained to this technology. I'm not being patronizing, I'm as guilty as the next fucker, but could we just... I don't know, calm down with it? Not let it control us so much?**

**I know saying all this on a laptop is hypocritical but the last time I shouted something from a rooftop, I was shot down by a tranquilizer gun.**

**XxX**

Why the hell is someone bouncing on my bed?

I groaned and rolled over, covering my face with my pillow, which was quickly ripped away from me and thrown at me. I sighed and cracked an eye open.

"Do you know how fucking annoying that is?"

"You've been awake for six seconds and have already sworn. That must be a record." Alice bounced once more than jumped off the bed. "Wake up, you have classes."

"No, I don't wanna go to school today." I pulled the covers over my head.

"I made coffee and there's bacon. Oh, and I need this," Then she ripped the covers off me and left. I huffed and stared up at the ceiling.

"I'm going to feel so sorry if you ever pop out a sproglet. That little bastard would have a tough ass childhood, and I'm talking to myself." I looked out the door. Tough choice, bacon or sleep? Bacon or sleep? I rolled out of bed, bacon winning easily, and followed the smell. Hitting my knee on the edge of that fucking table, I limped the rest of the way and leaned against the counter, taking my coffee.

"Table again?" Alice asked, bending over and looking in the fridge.

"I'm telling you that thing hates me."

"Yes, the whole world is out to get you." She passed me a plate of bacon and pancakes and then took hers in the living room. "When does your class begin?"

"Uhh... ten, I think." I sat in my inflatable chair and flipped through the channels, stopping on Comedy Central.

"You better hurry then; it's 9:30."

"There's plenty of time, it takes ten minutes to get there." I ate my pancakes, watched Fraiser and then decided to get changed. "What do you think?" I finished tying up my shoes, Green Day replacements, and grabbed my old messenger bag.

"Didn't you wear this the day you fell down those stairs?"

"Different shirt." I grabbed my keys and kissed Alice. "See you later."

"Love you,"

"Love you too," I shut the door behind me. That ten minutes was a load of crap, it taking twenty minutes to drive through the traffic to Broadway, then getting there I couldn't find the class so that was another five minutes.

"You, girl!" The ginger guy up front pointed at me as soon as I stepped through the door. He was a bear sized bastard, the entire lower part of his face covered by a beard, and his long face was red. Not the red you get from drinking your body weight but the kind of red you get for staying out in the sun too long. "Why are you taking this class?"

"Uhh..." I glanced to the left to the twenty odd people looking at me. "Because I wanted to take that bartending course but they were full so I went for this instead since most authors turn out to be raving alcoholics."

"No! It is because you love the written word and want to embrace their wisdom." He spoke passionately, using his hands a lot. Okay, this guy definitely loves his job.

"No, I think it's more my reason than that."

He smiled and beckoned me forward. "What is your name, girl?"

"Bella Swan?" I almost felt like I said the wrong answer. He nodded and furrowed his eyebrows. Yea, I think I answered wrong.

"There is a spare seat in the back, Bella Swan." I nodded in thanks and took the desk at the end, next to the steps. "To continue, I will not give you a book to read this week. Instead, we will discuss few of the books that were controversial and even banned by the US and other countries. Henry Miller. Why do you think he wrote Tropic of Cancer and then later on, Tropic of Capricorn?" His eyes darted over ever face in the room. Someone in the front row raised their hand. I couldn't see much, just the back of their head, and it was either a chick or a guy with long hair. "Yes, you?"

"Perhaps Miller needed an outlet for his troubles and having sex was one of the things he felt most comfortable in." The guy said, lowering his hand.

"Good answer, if not basic. Anyone else?" I raised my hand. "You, girl?"

I shrugged. "Maybe he just really wanted to brag about fucking all these French whores but had no one to do it to."

He chuckled and turned to the blackboard, wiping off his name – Lawrence Baxter – and wrote down the two answers. "Interesting view, girl." He turned back to us. "An outlet or bragging. Anyone else have an idea?" A couple more people answer before Lawrence latched onto one. "What is your name, girl?"

"Lois," The girl three seats down from me answered. "I think he wanted to shock. It was written during the '30s where most of the world was prudish, America being the front runner. He was born and raised in America and then he travelled to this new place that was candid and public about its sexuality. He had this new freedom and he took full advantage of it."

"Henry was a sexual man by nature." The guy in front of me agreed. I think his name was Bobby. "His mother was very dominating which could've helped matters, but the fact of the matter is he was a very sexual man and he was a writer. It's only natural the two would link."

"That's such a simplistic take." A guy at the other end in the front row turned around. He wore glasses, had a thin moustache that looked on its way to becoming one of those old Chinese master moustaches, and could only see him wearing a tank top.

"Of course. Tropic of Cancer was Henry's diary that he decided to share. That's why he was brutally honest with his day to day life, and sex." I leaned back in my chair and waited for this to unravel. "If you wrote in a diary would you be coy to yourself?"

"Literature is never so simple. He was married five times, the book could be a way to make them all jealous."

I chuckled. "Sorry, but I gotta agree with Bobby and Lois. Why would you put in all that time and effort of writing just to make someone jealous, someone who might not even read the book? It's like when people read too much into art, reading between lines that aren't there. What if he was just a horny bastard that wrote down his experiences and that's it?"

"Why would he write them down instead of going out and experiencing more?"

"Memories aren't always picture perfect. He said himself I have no money, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive. Why wouldn't you want to write down memories that gave you such happiest?"

"I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive." Lawrence walked around his desk and wiped the board clean. "Nearly right, girl. You too Lois, well said." He sat behind his desk. "Class is almost finished. I wanted to talk more but nevermind!" He jumped up and started writing on the board. "I said I wouldn't be giving you a book to study but I changed my mind. All of you are to pick a book that had been banned and write 3000 words on it. That is a small amount so do not complain. If you do not know a book that was banned look on the internet and find one. Write your opinion on the book, on the main character, write why you think it was a controversy and or banned and I want it handed in by Friday." He grinned and opened the door. "I will see you all tomorrow!"

"I didn't know a person could be that into literature."

"I know," Lois walked passed me and stopped on the steps. "My brother had him and said he was really excitable and eccentric at times." I nodded and picked up my unused bag. "You have a simple outlook on things."

"Not all things but definitely books." I let her go through the door first. "Do you have any idea what book to go for?"

"I'm going to the library to look. Do you want to come along?" She twitched her laptop case and bag to her other hand.

"No, I'll just pick something from home." We stopped by the elevators. "Do you have anymore classes?"

"French in an hour. Do you," She hesitated and tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. "Do you want to get a cup of coffee?"

I glanced at my watch. 11:05... Alice would've started work by now, Jasper was probably still in class, and I didn't really know anyone else. "Yea, okay. I could go for coffee but I haven't found a really good shop yet." We got into the elevator, having to push a few people back, and I went to the spot I always go to when entering an elevator; far left corner.

"I know a great place." Lois pressed the button and stood next to me. "What made you sign up for college?"

"I was bored and it was something to do. You?"

She laughed as the elevator came to a stop and half the people piled out. "It was the next step. I recently graduated high school and wanted to throw myself back into learning."

"So, you're 18?" I followed Lois out the building and down Olive street since she knew where everything was.

"19. And you are what, 24?"

"22, but thanks."

"Sorry, I've never been good at guessing peoples' ages." We turned left down Boyston. "How long have you lived in the city?"

"A couple months. I moved here from a tiny town nearish the coast, before that New York."

"I was born and raised here." I nodded and we continued walking. The coffee shop looked busy, a couple people sitting outside, a person sitting in the window with her laptop. There was also a tattoo parlour next door. "This is a great place. It's cheap and many students go here." We took a table behind three people studying. I glanced at my watch twenty minutes later.

"Look, Lois, thanks for buying me coffee but I really gotta go." I finished my coffee and grabbed my jacket.

"I need to get to French anyway. It was nice talking to you, Bella. I'll see you tomorrow." Lois squeezed my arm and left. I drove to Downtown Seattle and searched for the Gucci store.

"Hey, Alicat." I found her adjusting a green dress that looked like someone shot it with paintballs. "So, you dress up life sized Barbie dolls and get paid? Not bad."

"Hi, Bella." She kissed my cheek. "How was school?"

"Yea, it was alright. I gotta write something but I'll use what I used in high school. Do you get lunch with this job?"

"Isn't that classified as cheating? And yes, but not for another hour."

"Maybe technically. When do you get off?" I followed her to a counter and leaned against it, rolling a ring between my fingers.

"Not until five. I'm sorry, Bella, you're going to have to entertain yourself." She took the ring off me. I huffed. "Go find Jasper, he doesn't have any classes today if I remember."

"Okay, I'll visit the homo. I'll see you at five." I gave her a kiss and squeezed her hip. I drove to UW, still not entirely sure where the hell it is, and stopped outside a café. I rang Jasper up. "Hey, homo."

"Bella. I've missed your deep voice."

"It's not deep, you bastard."

"If you say so. What do I owe this call? Is the government after you? Have you slept with someone's daughter, sister, wife and or mother?"

"I'm going to remember that for when technology is so great that I can punch you through a phone." I picked a table outside and played with the salt shaker. "Do you want to get some lunch?"

"Lunch?"

"Yea, you know lunch; the thing you eat after breakfast but before dinner."

I heard him sigh. "Where are you?"

"Uhh," I looked around. "I'm on University way, there's a bus stop across the street... I think there's a couple of people fucking in that window."

"If I'm ever lost with you, I'm in charge of navigation. I'll be there soon." I was drinking a can of Coke and poking at a cheese and ham sandwich when Jasper walked passed.

"Homo, I thought you knew where this was." He stopped and turned around, taking the chair next to me and dropping a satchel with a heavy thud.

"You didn't give me clear directions. How have you been?" He took my sandwich.

"Fine, usual. How 'bout you? How's you and Embry? Adopted a pair of Himalayan whistle kids yet?"

"What are those?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, but I always imagined adoption is like going through a catalogue. I like that one but not in the caramel colour."

"Oh, lord, shut up before you get run out of town."

"That's funny and you know it, you just want to be politically correct." I took my sandwich back and took a bite. "Jasper, I say this as a friend, what the hell are you doing with a satchel? Just because Indiana Jones had one doesn't make it manly."

"You're not able to pull rank with that bag of yours."

"What's wrong with it?" I grabbed the strap and held it up.

"It has an X made from duct tape."

"Well, it'd look stupid with just the one strip."

"I at least use mine. I need it to carry these books." Jasper opened the flap and fuck loads of books, a laptop and a notepad spilled out, pushing my can to the edge of the table.

"Fuck, how many times can you rewrite 'all your problems come from your parents and you're fucked'?"

"I'm not surprised you're a Freudian. He blamed everythin' on his parents, his mother mostly, and connected everythin' to sex."

"Yea, that sounds like me. Jesus, how can you remember all this? Introduction to psychology, A guide to crisis intervention, Heath psychology, Understanding psychology, Psychology: the science of mind and behaviour, The blank state." I picked up the thickest book and went to a random page. "The bodily changes follow directly the perception of the exciting fact, and our feeling of the same changes as they occur is the emotion... what? What does that even mean?"

"It means our emotional experience is the result, not the cause, of bodily changes. We're frightened because we run, we're angry because we strike."

"That... makes no sense. I've hit someone because I'm pissed off, not the other way around." I leaned back and tapped my nails on the table.

"You're nervous."

"Not nervous, just... you can read me like a book now. Know my body language, know what I'm thinking, know what I'm hiding just from what I say or don't say."

"Bella, I can already do all those things. The only difference is that I'll soon have a degree for it." He packed up his satchel and put it back on the ground. "Why are you worried about Alice?"

"What makes you think I'm worrying about Alice?" I crossed my arms.

"You crossed your arms; defensive. You've never cared what I thought of you or knew what you were thinkin'. You don't want me to know there's a problem."

"Can you fuck off with that shit? You've been studying this for a day and suddenly you know how the whole world works."

"I've been studyin' for five months and I only know how you work from experience. Why are you worryin' about your relationship?" He asked again, taking my sandwich.

I sighed. "I'm still... Well, first, I can't believe we're together and actually living together. I'm just worried I'll fuck it up or something will happen."

"Bella," He moved his chair and put his hand on my knee. "Don't doubt yourself and don't be insecure. You've passed your first year and are now livin' together, you're still happy and aren't ready to kill each other. I'm sayin' this as a friend and not a psychiatrist; if you stress over somethin' that's not happenin', you will cause problems and destroy the relationship yourself."

"You're saying I'd sabotage my own happiness?" He nodded. "That's such... ugh," I sighed. "Fine, I'll relax. Now tell me, if I dream about eating a muffin does that mean I want sex?"

**XxX**

**I don't know how to feel about this, maybe 'cause it's the first chapter.**

**What do you think of the title? To explain, the 'official' title is The Animals Are Gone because it was the song I was listening to when I started, a good way to name something, yes? But whenever I talked to people in PM about this, I always referred to it as sequel thingy.**

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me and Russ bought a puppy! Yup, this yellow ball of fluff that keeps chewing my hair. And also, at work they're talking about letting me pick a horse, raise it and then sell it when the times right. Yeah, horses are used for more than meat, surprising, I know.**

**XxX**

"What are you talking about, Liam?" Bobby looked ready to jump over the desks and kick Liam, British, old Chinese master moustache guy, in the balls. Listening to these two fight for four days over every subject is starting to get a bit boring. "Holden Caulfield should not be sympathised for his actions. He acts like a child, which explains his naïvety, and calls everybody a phony even though he does things that would make him a phony by his definition."

"He's the normal 17 year old because he feels he's against the whole world. He suffers depression from his brother dying and his only friend committing suicide, he's confused about his sexuality and all the while, trying to find his place in the world."

"He was kicked out of three different private schools because he was failing academically, and when he was talking to his sister he said schools were phony places that prepared students to become phonies for the adult life. He's excusing himself for his failings. He took no responsibilities as a teenager and for his family. He was also a poor role model for his little sister; smoking, drinking. Caulfield wasn't the only one who lost a family member. His sister lost a brother and I would've thought Caulfield wouldn't become lost in his own depression but stay strong for his sister and family."

"We ain't talking about-"

"Oh my god, you guys," I stopped doodling a smiley face in my unused notebook and dropped my pen. "Will you two fuck and get it over with?" Everyone stared at me.

"What do you mean, girl?" Lawrence leaned forward in his chair.

"These two are obviously attracted to each other but they're just channelling it into hostility."

"This is not a psychology class even if the evidence is strong. What are your thoughts on The Catcher in the Rye, girl?" He stood up, cleaned the board and walked in front of his desk. "Do you think Holden is a social outcast only looking for a place to call his own, or a self absorbed, self destructing man?"

"I don't have any opinion on him or the book. I never read it, which is why I've been quiet since we talked about Animal Farm at the beginning of class." I glanced at the clock above the door and closed my notebook when I saw class was almost over. Lawrence grinned and nodded.

"Perhaps you should have picked it for your assignment." He looked at the clock and clapped his hands together. "Class is over. The people who have not given in their assignments, you have until tomorrow to finish. I will see you all tomorrow!"

As everyone left the room, I pulled out my phone and called Alice.

"Hello!" She sounded so happy, and I could hear something in the background.

"Hey? Have you made brownies with a little something... extra?" I grabbed my bag and headed outside to the park behind the sports centre.

"Can't I be happy when my lovely girlfriend calls?"

"Lovely? Okay, if you say so. Do you want to meet up somewhere? You're not working today, right?"

"Not on Thursdays. Where will you be?"

"By the park, next to the basketball court." I narrowly missed getting hit by a car when I crossed the road.

"Okay, I'll see you soon." I hung up and walked down an alley to the park, sitting on the stone wall and watched a game of three on three. My ass was numb and my back was getting jabbed to fuck by ridges in the lamp I was sitting against when Alice came walking up. "Hi," She gave me a kiss and pulled me off the wall.

"Hey, want to get some coffee? I know a place."

"How's college coming along? I haven't seen you pick up a single book or write anything." We sat outside since it was actually sunny.

"The assignment is to write a 3000 word essay about a controversial and or banned book. I did Lolita in high school so I'm going to hand that in tomorrow." I took Alice's biscotti and ate it in two bites.

"That's cheating. And that's stealing." She slapped my thigh.

"You don't like them. You and Jasper already told me that was apparently cheating but I'm ignoring both of you. You know I'm not going for honours in this place."

"But at least try to make an effort." She leaned her head on my shoulder. I smiled and kissed her head.

"Okay, I'll try. When we're finished I want to show you something in the college." We drank our coffee's, Alice hitting my thigh again when I fingered the chocolate off the top, and walked back to the college. I had to stop and waited for her to take off her heels and give her a piggy back the rest of the way. "Why do you wear those spikes if they cause you so much pain? So, you're a short ass, you have to get used to it at some point." She dug her feet in my stomach.

"I can cause you a lot of harm in this position." She whispered in my ear.

"Fair enough. Oh, hey, Lois!" I jogged to the front of the bookstore as Lois was coming out. She looked quite surprised.

"Hi, Bella, and uhh..."

"Alice." She held out her hand, probably intentionally hitting me in the back of the head on the way. You say one short comment...

"Hi." They shook hands. "What can I do for you, Bella?" She put the new book in her bag, something about the Black Plague.

"Can I borrow your key locker?" I nodded to the sports place next door.

"Okay. I'll be in French class until 12:50." She reached into her bag again and handed me the key.

"Thanks, I'll bring it back."

"What are you planning?" Alice asked as I lowered her back on the ground when we entered the centre.

"Something." I asked for some towels at the front desk and headed for the locker room. "82... 84... 86... 89, here we are." We got changed, wrapped up in the towels and I lead us to the sauna, which was empty.

"You wanted to show me a sauna? Did you want to get me naked and sweaty?" I sat in the corner and grinned.

"No, not completely. I can get you in that state at home. Come on," I pulled her on top of me and squeezed her hip under the towel. "Where's your wild side? Remember the time we had sex in the forest and those hikers almost caught us?"

"Remember? I still have marks from the bark." She pushed my hair back, which was already getting damp, and kissed my fucked up shoulder. "Though, I'm far better off than you."

"I don't have the best luck." I pulled off her towel and hugged her, resting my chin on her shoulder. "Maybe I should get a rabbit foot or... beat up a leprechaun."

"Beat up a leprechaun?"

"Yeah, cause they're hiding the four leaf clovers." I pressed my mouth against her jaw and felt the muscles move.

"Why do I love you?"

"Fuck knows." She turned her head and kissed me, tugging at the knot in my towel. I was actually able to make a toga out of it since it was big enough. "But I'm glad you do."

Luckily no one came in during our time... talking, and the steam gave us a good cover.

"See? I told you it would be fun." I just found out that in humidity Alice's hair grows twice the normal size.

"No you didn't." She was running a hand through her hair. "Don't say a word."

"I don't know what you're talking about..." I grinned and grabbed her waist. "Bozo." I got a shot to the ribs for that one. We went back home, leaving the key with Lois, and didn't leave the apartment for the rest of the day.

"Whose Lois?" Alice kept her eyes on the TV.

"She's a girl that's in my class." She nodded. "Don't worry about it."

"You've always had a liking for blondes." She commented, changing the channel.

"Leah wasn't blonde." She glared at me. "Yeah, that ain't helping." I got out of my chair and lifted Alice off the couch, taking her place and putting her on my lap. "Listen, Lois' just stopped being a high schooler, she can't even drink legally, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't even like chicks. She does nothing for me; no woman does nothing for me. Well, actually, that's not true since I'm not a robot." I leaned my forehead on the back of her head. "Please don't be insecure, please don't suddenly stop trusting me. I love you, even though you're on the short side." I smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Are you forever going to make fun of my height?"

"Forever." I moved about and laid down 'til Alice sat on my stomach. "Please?" Hopefully I wouldn't have to elaborate since... you know, I'm shit with the talking.

She nodded and got off me. "For future reference, I won't have sex in a sauna ever again."

"Oh, come on." I followed her in the bedroom. It was really looking like a scene from the Brady Bunch. The right side was clearly my side, filled with all my crap; towers of DVDs, CDs on the floor, one bookshelf holding my books, a pile of clothes in the corner – Alice kept bitching about putting them in the wardrobe – and my desk that was filled with my laptop and loads of mugs. Then there was Alice's: wardrobe open showing off her clothes and shoes, the other bookshelf filled with DVDs ranging from chick flicks to classic black and whites, a small vanity mirror at the end of the bed with cut outs from magazines of clothes she wanted and photos from high school and some parties that I can't remember well. "You have to admit that was fun."

"It was stupid. What if someone came in?"

"But no one did. Calm down, Alicat." I sat at my desk while she went for her mirror. I looked through my old high school English files, yeah, it's the same computer and it's old as fuck, and found Lolita. I looked through it once, agreed with my first thoughts, and printed it out. "Hey, do you want to-" I turned around and saw Alice had straightened her hair and was putting in earrings. "Seems you already thought of it."

"Someone at work suggested an Irish pub near the market."

"A pub?" I got up and rested my chin on her head. "An _Irish_ pub?" I grinned at the mirror. "You want to go to an Irish pub?"

"I spent most of my drinking with you, I can handle myself."

"No, no, I know you can, I'm just surprised. Tell me when you're finished." I went back to the living room and finished my coffee. We left half an hour later and was hit by fiddles and banjos playing when we walked in. It wasn't crowded, probably cause it was a Thursday night, and sat at the bar.

"'Ello, ladies, what can I get ye?" A grey haired Irishman smiled at us, and I saw he had a tooth missing.

"Hey, I know she'll want a Rum and Coke." I nodded towards Alice. "I want..." I looked at the taps lining the bar. "I'll have a Guinness."

"I'll be right back."

"A Guinness? You've never drank a Guinness in your life." Alice turned towards me.

"We're in an Irish pub, it seems only right." Irishman came back and put our drinks down, some of mine spilling down the side. "Thanks. You don't do cocktails do you?"

"Naw, you want that fancy stuff you need ta go somewhere else."

"You know a place?"

"I know few but... 'ere's a good place." He grabbed a receipt and wrote a location on the back. "Bloke's name's Alexander." He put the note next to my beer.

"Thanks." I put it in my pocket and grabbed my drink.

"Why do you want to know where a cocktail bar is?"

"'Cause I need to get a job and a cocktail place might pay more than a run of the mill bar." I took a sip and felt my face twist. "Oh, Jesus Christ."

"Don't worry, it takes time for the drink ta warm up ta ye." Irishman sat on a stool in the corner and was reading a newspaper. "Took years for it ta like me."

It took Irish years for the drink to like him but me only hours. I was easily into my fifth Guinness when Alice took the glass away from me.

"Slow down. The drink won't run off if you leave it for ten minutes." She set it on the other side of her drink and out of my reach.

"Ah, come on, love. You'd tink I couldn't hold me drink."

"Don't do accents, you're not as good as you think you are."

"Oh, you hit me where it hurts most. How could you say such a cruel thing?" I grabbed her waist and put her on my lap. I smiled and bit her lip before kissing her properly. Then lots of morons started hooting. "I sometimes wonder why I don't go for men but then they do something like that."

"Like you're any better."

"I'm better than them." I slipped my hands under her shirt and stroked her ribs. "Wanna go back home? I'm suddenly feeling tired."

She snorted. "Better than them my small ass." She climbed down off me and tugged me after her. "Hurry up." I grinned and followed her out of the bar to the car. Alice drove while I kept my hand on her thigh, getting it slapped away when it moved to the inside. Three times.

When we got back home, grinning, I grabbed her around the waist and fell back on the bed making her giggle. I pressed my cheek against hers. "Jasper was right." I kissed the side of her head, brushing my nose along the top hairline.

"About?"

"I shouldn't be insecure either." I pulled her shirt up her back and over her head then pressed my forehead against hers, my nose rubbing the side of hers when I nodded.

"There's no reason you should. I won't act jealous and in turn, you stop doubting yourself. How does that sound?" She ran her thumbs over my cheeks, up to my eyebrows and then down over my temples, hitting the long scar. "I hate this scar."

"Why? I have more that are much worse."

"Because Kate gave it to you. Every time I see it I think how she did it." She turned my head and kissed my temple, staying there. "And I see so much blood."

"Your imagination's making it worse than it really was." I rolled us over and trapped her underneath me. "I told you what happened and I didn't lie or downplay it. Yes, there was blood and yes, it hurt like a fucking bitch but I got a few good shots in. Don't worry about me." I squeezed her hip.

The next day class was cancelled. I glanced at my watch as I sat in Anderson park.

"Bella, hi." I looked up and smiled at Lois. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?" She sat next to me, folding a leg under her. I shrugged.

"Might see a friend if he's free."

She nodded and played with a bracelet. "I was wondering if you-"

"Oi!" Someone shouted. We looked up and saw Liam walking towards us, glaring at me. "Since you made that gay joke, everybody's been taking the mick." I had to stand up when he got close enough to easily kick me in the face.

"You need to calm down there. It was only partly meant to be a joke, the other half being a theory." I saw his fist clench at his side. Oh fuck. "Lois, move." I grabbed her wrist and pulled her up and pushed her away, barely ducking out from the punch in time. I quickly stepped over the bench and stayed a couple steps away from him. "Now, you really do need to calm the fuck down." He just stepped over the bench and headed for me. Shitting Christ. I threw a punch but missed him completely as he easily sidestepped me, and my hand ended up hitting the tree next to the bench. I didn't hear any cracks or pops but fuck me, it fucking hurt.

Liam threw a punch that I was able to duck out of the way of, only getting clipped on my bad shoulder. I gritted my teeth. He seemed to have picked up on the weakness and body checked my left side.

I shouted out a fuck as I hit the ground. I was picked up by my shirt and had my shoulder rammed into that fucking tree. I couldn't even make a word this time, I just shouted. He let me drop to the ground again, and I hoped he was finished when I got to my knees. I was wrong. I felt pain in the back of my head and my vision went white for a couple seconds. When I blinked, I was on the ground and saw someone had Liam pinned over the bench.

"Bella?! Bella, can you hear me?" I felt a hand on my poor, poor shoulder.

"Do not touch her." I know that voice... "Bella? Are you conscious?" I think I mumbled something but I'm not too sure. "Can you sit up?" I rolled over, having to give myself a little pep talk to find the strength, and found Lois and Lawrence crouching over me.

"Hey, Lawrence." I spat some grass out and tried to smile.

"The paramedics will be here soon. Can you sit?" I slowly pushed myself up and supported myself on the tree. I gave the roots a respectful pat. Good opponent it was. I touched the back of my head and blood stained my entire palm.

"Ooh, fuck, that ain't good." I wiped my hand on my leg and looked at my other hand. It was starting to swell, I could see the beginning of a big fuck off bruise, the skin around the knuckles were gone and a piece of bark was between two knuckles.

"I will not let Liam go unpunished for this. He will be forced to leave my class."

"No, it's alright." I pulled myself up by the trunk and leaned heavily on it. "It was just a scrap."

"Bella, you're bleeding. You may have a concussion."

"I'm fine. I've been hit in the head enough times to know if it's a concussion or not." I pulled out the splinter and loads of blood came after it. I was dragged to the closest hospital, even though I refused at least seven times, had a doc look at my head, shoulder, and hand; it wasn't broken but the bones were bruised... whatever the fuck that means. My head didn't need stitches and my shoulder was fine, if not a little battered and bruised.

"Do you have anyone to drive you home? Do you need to call someone?" Doctor Grasse asked as I got off the table chair thing. I could call Alice but she'd be at work... maybe Jasper's free. Oh fuck, my car.

"No, no, I'll walk back. The college is around here somewhere, right?"

"Yes, you take a left when you leave and you'll come across Broadway. Go up Broadway until you reach the college."

"Thanks, doc." I was grabbed around the arm when I walked passed the waiting room. "Lois. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Her eyes darted to my hand and the bandage on my head. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Nothing but a bit of blood lost and missing skin from the hand." I headed to Broadway with Lois at my side. "You should go back to class. I'd hate for you to fail something because of me."

"I'll walk with you."

"Nope, you'll be late if you walk." I shouted for a taxi that was going passed. It actually stopped instead of driving on. "Go." I pushed her in the back. "Seattle community college?" The driver nodded and left. I stumbled to the college and my car and drove home, changing my mind halfway there and turning around to head to Alexander's cocktail bar. 88 keys looked closed. I knocked on the glass door and a couple minutes later a guy, Alexander I guessed, unlocked and opened the door. And fuck me, Alexander was beautiful. He was tall, easily over a foot taller than me, had full, very full, lips and a wide nose.

"I'm sorry, I'm not open yet."

"Uhh," Can I lick you like you're made out of chocolate? "Uhh, yeah I guessed. You make cocktails, right?"

"Yes, and we don't serve them for another half an hour."

"No, I don't want a drink. I want a job."

"Job?" He scratched his chin then opened the other door. "You best come in then."

"Wow, you really like your Blues." It was one giant room; the bar covering almost the entire left side, a small curved stage in the far right corner holding a piano, a dozen round tables in front of it, and a small room in the other right corner. There was a neon guitar sign on one of the two pillars in the middle of the room, a blackboard on the other. Photos, sketches and caricatures were spread out over the walls, and from what I could tell they were of musicians.

"Blues and Jazz." He walked around the bar and pointed to a stool. "Take a seat. You want a job bartending? Do you have experience?"

I couldn't stop the laughed. "I've spent most of my life in bars."

"Drinking isn't the kind of experience I'm talking about."

"All my jobs have been bartending; a few in New York, one in New Mexico, one in Washington. But I don't want the normal bartending, I want to be a cocktail maker. Here's the thing though, I don't really know how to make proper cocktails, so I was wondering if you could teach me."

Alexander laughed and ruffled his hair, even though the gel he had in it stopped it from changing. "You want a job making cocktails but you don't know how to make them? I can't hire someone for a job they don't know how to do."

"I know that, but I was thinking I could work here as a normal bartender and you teach me on the side." He scoffed and scratched his forehead.

"You... you want me to teach you? Use my own alcohol, my stock, to teach you? That's wasting my alcohol, my money to buy new stock, my time and my effort if it doesn't work out. Why should I bother?"

"Take the drinks I waste out of my wages. Look, I need this job. I can't keep living off my girlfriend and eating into my savings. I'm sick and fucking tired of working in dives and shitholes and places that are one step away from turning into brothels. Look, I know my alcohol, maybe not the spirits, but I can make and serve the basics." He scratched his chin then turned around.

"Okay," He took the bottle of gin off the wall, grabbed a glass and a bottle of tonic from under the bar. "Make a gin and tonic."

"I'll need ice, a lime and a lemon to make it a proper one." Alexander looked impressed. He opened a fridge, grabbing a bucket of ice, a lime and half a lemon. I took the knife off him and cut two thin slices, threw them in the glass along with some ice and poured the gin and tonic in. He turned the glass in his hands and took a sip.

"Nice, very nice. You could put in less gin."

"Less gin... that's something I don't hear a lot." I leaned back. "What else do you want me to make?"

"A Rum and Coke." He started taking the bottle of Jack off the wall but I stopped him.

"Oh, come on, Alexander, a child could make that."

He sighed and attached the bottle back. "Can you make a Fuzzy Navel?"

"Uhh... Peach Shnapps, orange juice and... lemonade, right?" He nodded and handed me the bottles and a Martini glass. He took a sip when I was finished.

"This is better than your G&T. You're right, you do know your alcohol. Okay, I'll see what you can do with real customers. You'll start Monday and I'll teach you everyday before I open the bar."

"Yeah, that sounds grea- wait. What time and how much money will you take from me?"

"I get in at eleven which should be a good time for you, and I think thirty a week should cover my loses."

"I can't see myself wasting $30 worth of booze but whatever you say. Oh, and I might be a bit late each day 'cause I finish class at eleven."

"How late?" He started cleaning the drinks away.

"Depends on traffic, but hopefully at least ten minutes."

"Hmm." He closed the fridge door and walked back around the bar. "I'm sure working with you will be a pleasure, Miss..."

"Bella."

"Bella. And I'm Alexander but you seem to know already. Who did you get my name and location from?"

"Some Irish guy. He works or owns a bar near Pike."

"Hmm. I'll see you on Monday, Bella."

"Yeah, great meeting you." I left the bar and called Jasper. "Homo, are you free?"

"Hello Bella, how are you? I'm fine."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, are you?"

"My last class finished an hour ago. I'll meet you at the same café as last time?"

"Yup, I'm on my way." I quickly drove down to the University District and found Jasper already sitting out front with two mugs in front of him. "Guess who got a job?"

"Did the strip club finally have an openin'?"

"Har de fucking har." I sat down and kicked his shin under the table. "I got a job at a piano bar, I'm gonna be making cocktails soon."

"Where and when is your first shift?"

"You're not coming. There's no way you're coming."

"Oh, I'm comin'. If I have to visit every piano bar in the city, I'm comin' and watchin' you make drinks in a tux."

"Tux?"

"If it's a proper piano bar, you can't turn up like... this." He pointed at me. I looked down and saw I had grass and dirt stains on my shirt and jeans, and had a dried blood hand print on my thigh. "What happened?"

"A guy in my class got pissed off and... I kinda lost the fight. Look," I turned around in my chair and I heard Jasper hiss.

"What did you say to him? Did he hit you with a chair?" I heard a scrape then Jasper touched the back of my head.

"Ow, you dick!" I flinched back and turned around, punching him in the stomach. "Why, why do you poke all my injuries? There's a bandage, there's probably blood showing, isn't that enough to tell you it hurts?"

"I'm sorry." He sat back down "Tell me about this bar, who'll be workin' with?"

"Oh god, Jasper, he's so beautiful."

"Who?"

"The guy I'm working with, the guy who owns the place. I shit you not Jasper, he is so beautiful I wanted to weep."

"Have you converted back to straight?"

"For him, I'm straight, no boyfriend and no children."

"You don't have children."

"Exactly."

"Describe to me this fallen angel." He drank his coffee then took a bite from a muffin that had some weird thing on it. Kinda looks like a dried up banana slice.

"He's tall, really tall. He kinda has a square head but it doesn't look like he got hit in the face with a shovel, it's not that kind of square head. He has a really strong jaw and full Angelina Jolie lips, a wide nose and I assume he has a lovely body beneath the clothes."

"I've never heard you describe a man that way." He reached across and grabbed both my hands, looking very serious. "Bella, please don't cheat on Alice with a man."

"I don't cheat." Jasper opened his mouth. "No, fucking no, Jasper. I didn't cheat, Tanya cheated." I rubbed my hand and peeled off some torn skin. "How are you, homo? How's Embry?"

"We're perfect. I meant to show you the last time we were together," He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a couple times then showed me a picture of Lola holding a child. I frowned. "That's Elizabeth." I frowned deeper. He sighed. "Rose and Emmett's daughter."

"Oh, okay." I took the phone off him. She was cute; Lola's blonde hair and brown eyes and one of Ryan's dimple. "She's going to grow up to be a beautiful chick, just like her momma."

"I know. I need to go, I promised Embry I'd meet him at work. When are you workin'?"

"I don't know but I'll tell you when I do." I gave him his phone and a pat and watched him leave. I touched the back of my head and sighed. I had to piss someone off while living here at some point. I finished my coffee, took Jasper's cupcake and drove home, to find Alice sitting on the couch. "Alice, what the hell? I thought you worked today."

"Jasper called me. Show me your head." She didn't wait for me and grabbed the front of my shirt and bent me forward. She peeled the bandage away and I heard her gasp. "Oh, god. There's so much blood."

"I'm fine." I straightened up and squeezed her hip. "Not even a concussion. Apparently I have a thick skull. No broken bones, no internal bleeding, no long lasting damage. I'm completely fine." I grabbed her around the back of the thighs and lifted her up, quickly dropping her on the floor when pain shot through my shoulder. "Fuck! Okay, not completely fine." I clutched my shoulder and sat on the couch. Alice recovered and pulled up my sleeve, wincing when she saw the bruises.

"Bella, what did he do to you?"

"He's a good fighter and knows how to use his environment."

"You're praising him? He put you in a hospital."

"A&E. They'll heal and I'll be back to normal. It's sweet you're worried even though you've seen me in hospital with broken arms, broken bones, after a mugging incident, and god knows what else." I took her hand off my shoulder and kissed her palm. "You don't have to go back to work, right?" I got off the couch, pulling her along, and headed for the bedroom.

"Your shoulder."

"I'll play through the pain."

**XxX**

**Some fluff, yes? Or should I put in some more, 'cause I've got some half written, snippets of fluff.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yeah, I'm late but only by a day. No collecting your torches and pitchforks. I came across a series called Archer, I'm sure some of you have heard of it, and I was wondering if anyone knew where to watch it in the UK or on the internet. No websites with goddamn virus, my computer is old and can't take hits like it used to.  
**

**XxX**

"Girl, how are you feeling today?" Lawrence stood up from behind his desk.

"I'm fine." I looked over the desks but couldn't find one particular face. "Lawrence, where's Liam?"

"I forced him from my class. No one belonging to my class shall lay a hand on another student on college grounds. You may fight like barbarians away from here but in school radius, I will not allow it. Take a seat, girl." I nodded and took the seat at the end in the top row. "I am sorry about my absence yesterday, but a family issue came up. We shall discuss your opinions on the book you have chosen, and at the end of class you will see your grading." He looked down at his desk and frowned at the pile of papers. "Michael?"

"Yes, sir?" The guy with long hair who I thought was a girl the first day, raised his hand.

"I am disappointed. You chose Tropic of Cancer, I am not disappointed with that, I am disappointed you did not write any original or independent thoughts. You took Bobby's opinion, Megan's opinion, and this," He held up the page and pointed to one of the last lines. "This is a line from an essay a boy called James Frey wrote. I will not have you stealing other peoples' words and passing them off as your own!" He slapped the page and his hand on the desk, making some people jump. "I gave you five days to write 3000 words. I know you read the book beforehand because you had thoughts about it when we discussed it in class. I expect more from you, Michael." Michael only nodded and stayed quiet. "Lewis, your thoughts on 1984 surprised me."

It continued for the rest of class. Lawrence would call out a name, they'd listen to him rip the shit out of their work, there'd be a discussion, a fight or two – how can people become so riled up by books? – then on to the next name. We had a couple Orwell's, a few religious things, some civil war/slavery things; the usual. After class finished and Lawrence did his usual extravagant goodbye, everyone left while Bobby climbed up the steps to me. Oh fuck, here we go again.

"Bella?" I've never seen Bobby at the front but not bad. Curly black hair, thick black eyebrows with a hint of unibrow going on, a nose that suggested one or both of his parents were Jewish, and his little goatee thing.

"Yeah. Are you going to knock the shit out of me now? I warn you, I won't be able to put up much of a fight."

"I want to apologize on behalf of Liam. He reacted appallingly and I'm sorry."

"It's okay. He's not exactly the first guy I pissed off enough to punch me." I grabbed my bag, I don't know why I bring it, I never fucking use it, felt a twinge in my shoulder and started walking down the steps. "You can buy me a coffee. I would want to throw that in Liam's face and then punch him but I'll drink it instead."

I grabbed my coffee, thanked Bobby, then went home where I spent at least two hours researching every cocktail, shot, and spirit. I went out and bought cheap version of spirits to practice. Cheap 'cause... well, have you seen how much those bastards cost? Alice came home to pretty much all the glasses and mugs we owned filled with alcohol, scrap paper pinned to the cabinets with weird scrawls that even I couldn't understand, and me slightly tipsy.

"Did you have a bad day?" Alice slowly walked into the kitchen, looking around. "Or a good day? I can't remember how it works with you."

"No, I'm practising for work. Don't say something smartass... ness, like. I've got a job at a piano bar and hopefully I'll be making cocktails soon; I'm practising. Taste." I pushed a mug into her hands.

"What is this?" She sniffed at it and cringed.

"Uhh..." I looked at my weird scribblings. "Sex on the Beach... I think." Alice gave me a glance then took a sip... and started coughing like she smoked forty a day. "So, too much vodka?"

"Oh my god, Bella," She coughed out, her eyes watering. "That is not a Sex on the Beach or vodka, and far too much of whatever it is." I took the mug off her hands and took a sip. Jesus, she wasn't fucking around. I took another sip and looked over my notes.

"You're right; it's a Kiss me Slow. It's suppose to be strong as holy fuck."

"No, it overpowers anything else that's a part of the drink." I nodded and wrote down a new recipe. "I thought you wanted to stop working in bars." Alice walked into the living room with a glass of water in her hand. I grabbed a random glass and followed her, sitting in my chair.

"Yeah, but what if I'm only good at working in bars? I mean, I only started college, which I did half heartedly, because I was bored and wasn't working."

"You're going to quit college?"

"I won't 'til I know I've got the job." I got up and sat next to her, pulling her into my lap.

"You know what you're doing, hopefully." I agreed by biting her ear.

"I love you." I left my mug on the table and hugged her around the waist, slipping a thumb under her shirt and stroking around the bellybutton.

"Why are you being affectionate? What do you want?" She narrowed her eyes at me and looked all suspicious.

"You know most people reply that very heart-warming confession by returning it." I ran my other hand along her leg, feeling something in her left pocket, while lightly kissing her neck. Though I think calling it kissing was exaggerating. More pressing my lips and keeping them there for a couple seconds.

...

"Before you leave," Lawrence cleaned the blackboard then wrote something down. "You are to read chapters one through five of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind." People groaned, mine being one of the louder. "Is there a problem?"

"That book is just a 1000 pages of southern accents." I complained.

"I do not care if you like the book or not. What I want you to do is read it."

"But what can we learn from this? It's probably been looked over in classrooms everywhere and pompous bastards."

"It is not about learning from it. It is about how you, as an individual, perceive it! Girl, it does not matter if everyone in the country has read and interpreted a book but it does matter what you think. This is true with every single person here. I am not issuing this book to you because I want you to learn about the Civil war or slavery in the deep South, no. I am making you read this book because I want to hear your thoughts." He sighed and closed his suitcase. "Discussing a book's symbolism is not your thoughts, it is the thoughts of the author. Class is over, you all may leave. Michael, may you stay for a talk?" The rest of us left and I tried to remember where the hell I parked my car.

"Bella," Lois appeared. "Do you want to grab a coffee with me?"

"I can't, I've got to go to work. Next time." I patted her shoulder and headed for 88 Keys. I knocked on the door and Alexander opened it, wearing only a pair of jeans. Oh, come on, that ain't playing fair. "Hey, did I come at a bad time?"

"No, I stained my shirt. Go behind the bar and I'll be with you shortly." He left me to shut the door and went through a door next to the stage. I took a look 'round, opened the door a couple feet from the office door, a men's room to my left and woman to the right, then sat at the piano. I don't know what the hell is it, grand, standard, Elton John sized, I haven't got a fucking clue but its make was Bladin and it was black. "Do you play?" Alexander stood beside the stage wearing a white shirt and a black waistcoat with the bar's name on the breast. Oh, fuck, Jasper's right.

"No, I don't have the patience." I went behind the bar and leaned against it. "So, what you want me to do?"

"I want you to name me all the clear and dark spirits." He sat in front of me on the stool. I could feel the blank look on my face. "You don't know them?"

"Uhh, gin is clear while rum is... dark?"

"Wrong. Rum is clear also. It's distilled from sugar canes, and age is what turns rum a dark colour. Continue." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked expectant.

"Uhh..." Fuck, I don't think I've thought this hard since high school. Hell, I didn't think this hard during high school. "Gin, rum, vodka... tequila? And... that's it."

"You missed one."

"What? What else is there?" He just stayed silent. "Fuck, Alexander, can't you give me a hint?"

He sighed. "It's sake. The last one is sake."

"That Chinese thing? When is that ever used in a drink? Do people even order it?"

"It's Japanese, and you have to be prepared for any drink order. You could know a drink you've only made once in the last seven months, the point is you know it." He stood up and walked to the stage. "Tell me the dark spirits." He lifted the lid of the piano bench and pulled out a folded mic stand.

"Whiskey, brandy, scotch-"

"Scotch is only Scottish whiskey, they're the same. Continue." Alexander unfolded and clicked it into place and pulled out a microphone from the bench.

"What's that Tennessee one? Umm...Brandy?"

"You said that already. It begins with a B."

"B... B..." I turned around and realized the answer was lined up on the wall. "Bourbon." I quickly turned around and leaned back on the bar.

"Well done. Though you cheated on Bourbon I'll allow you to have it." He lifted the piano lid and played down the keys. "Can you tell me the different versions of whiskey?"

"Scottish... Irish... British? American, French, Italian?" I'm just listening off counties now. Alexander sighed again and closed the lid.

"It's Canadian. Canadian, Scottish, and Irish." He came to sit in front of me and pointed behind me. "I'll teach you to make few of the popular cocktails that are ordered here. Take the tequila out of the hold, the lime juice out of the fridge, and the triple sec is next to the Vermouth. You'll need a lime and salt, both of which you'll find next to the tray." I lined the bottles up on the bar. "Do you know how to make a Margarita?" I shook my head. "The cabinet next to the coffee machine holds all the glasses. Take out the margarita glass, the one with-"

"I know what a margarita glass looks like." I walked to the end of the bar and opened the cupboard. Four shelves, top one full of tall glasses and highball glasses, second one filled with wine glasses and mini wine glasses, the third with Martini and margarita glasses, and the fourth had tumblers and Brandy glasses. Alexander ordered me about, wet the rim with the lime slice, salt the rim, put some ice in the glass, pour the drinks in the shaker, shake the crap out of it, then pour everything in the glass, throwing in the lime you used for... taste, I guess. "Whatcha think?" I slid the drink over to him.

He took a sip then nodded. "Yes, very nice. The tequila isn't overpowering, I can taste the Triple sec. Well done." He licked his lips and pushed the glass away.

"Question; why don't you use margarita mix instead of spending twice as much time making the same drink?"

"You're a lazy worker. Try making me a Martini." I nodded and went to the glass cupboard again, pulling out a Martini glass and found a small tub of olives in the fridge. Alexander taught me how to make a Manhattan and a Cosmopolitan before he said he had to open up. "Hmm. I want you to work tonight at seven through to midnight."

"Midnight... Okay. When's this place open?"

"Weekdays are twelve to twelve while Saturday and Sunday are twelve to two in the morning." I nodded and got out from behind the bar.

"Okay, I'll see you at seven."

Someone was playing Jazz as I entered the bar. It wasn't that busy, several of the tables taken up in front of the stage, and I saw a couple shadows in the private section. "Hey, Alexander," I opened his office door and took a quick look around. It had the same theme as outside, a couple photos of musicians, a bass propped up against a wall, one file cabinet, a desk and a chair behind it where Alexander sat.

"Bella. These are your work clothes," He reached under his desk and put a long sleeve white shirt and the black waistcoat on his desk. "Please don't forget to wear them when you come to work. You may change in here." He stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him. I sighed and grabbed my work clothes. No matter what, don't piss off your new boss, and don't shout at him unless he makes for your tit and or ass.

I closed the door and went behind the bar. "Okay, what's the deal?"

"The deal?" Alexander turned away from the row of spirits and a corner of his mouth twitched. "You'll be serving drinks, no cocktails, and any tips you're given you keep. This is your co-worker, Denise, if someone orders a cocktail, let Denise serve it." The girl behind his shoulder raised her hand then went back to work. "You know how to use this coffee machine, yes?"

"Yeah, one of the bars I worked at were one of those fancy designer bars."

"Hmm. That's all you need to know for now." He nodded then went back to his office. I rolled my eyes and unbuttoned my waistcoat. I nodded to Denise and went to work. I worked for three straight hours before I was allowed to go on a break, where I smoked two cigarettes in the span of five minutes.

"Hey, what do you want... Bobby?" I unbent from the fridge with a bucket of ice in hand.

"Hi, Bella, I didn't know you worked here. Could I have a Rum and Coke?" I nodded and grabbed the bottles. Yeah, yeah, I know I wasn't suppose to serve mixes but come on, a Rum and Coke isn't exactly the hardest drink to make. "Thanks," He handed me a ten bill and gave me two dollars in change. "A tip." He shrugged and went back to the stage.

"Is Alexander always that... that?" I asked Denise when there was a lull. She was quite pretty in a punk sort of way. She had dyed dark red hair, blue eyes, a freckle on the corner of her jaw and I noticed she had slender fingers.

"Such a hardass? You grow used to it. You have to earn his respect. Not many people last long."

"Great. Just fucking great." It seems I'm going to be out of a job in two weeks.

I slipped off my shoes and jeans and crawled into bed. Alice stirred and rolled over. "What time is it?"

"Something passed midnight. Go back to sleep." I rolled onto my stomach then felt Alice lie half on me.

"I hope this doesn't happen every night."

"Hopefully." I think I replied but I'm not sure.

**XxX**

**First off, I know this is thin but I was in a lull when I wrote this down and I just couldn't bring myself to rewrite it. Lazy, I know, but I'm not 100% at the moment. So, you saw me struggle with writing fluff. I don't know why, but me and fluff aren't best mates. I'm trying, trust me I'm trying, but whenever I try I'm thinking 'fuck, this is going to turn so sickly sweet I'm gonna vomit' Fight scenes, death scenes I'm good at, so bear with me when sweetness turns up.**

**Just to warn you guys, I'm only on chapter four, so expect delays. I don't know what's with me, I have the attention span of one of those goldfishes that keep swimming into the side of the bowl... and the memory like one too. Honest to god, yesterday I was in the middle of a paragraph going like a fucking steam train actually, and suddenly I found myself downstairs styling Russ' beard with a beer in hand. Now it's in a Tyrosh style. Look up Daario.**

**Review, my lovely lovelies.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm having the biggest writers' block of my entire life. How I normally work with the Block is, I stop writing whatever the hell I'm writing and continue on another thing, or even start a new small one shot thing, but nope, not this time. When I turned around and went to do another thing, BAM! Another brick wall, and another when I tried to do something else, and again and again. So, I've been in this writers' block/brick wall cage for... two weeks.**

**There's suppose to be big fluff in this chapter but... you guys know how shit I am at fluff. So, if anyone wants to be my fluff writer, I know that sounds dodgy as fuck, throw a PM my way and we'll see what happens.**

**Yeah... hopefully this chapter is going to better than the last one.**

**XxX**

"It's odd, I guess, but..." I trailed off as Lois came out of the locker rooms in a swimsuit. Skinny like a bamboo, kinda light in the tit department, but I think that's required for swimmers, her hair tied back, and quite nice legs. I cleared my throat and turned back to the swimming pool.

"Is something wrong?" I shook my head. Lois glanced at me before diving into the pool. I don't know why I agreed to come up here. It's like a fat guy pressing himself up against a cake shop window. I took off my shoes and socks and rolled up my jeans to the knees, dipping my feet into the pool. "Why don't you come in?" Lois stopped in the lane next to me.

"I don't have anything to wear and I'm pretty sure these guys won't like it if I swim in my bra and boxers."

"Boxers?" I half shrugged. Lois smiled and then grabbed my ankle and pulled me into the pool. I swallowed a mouthful of water, meaning I swallowed a mouthful of piss, and broke the surface to find Lois laughing her ass off.

"So fucking funny." I threw some water at her which she ducked into the water and popped up in the same lane as me. "You are so goddamn lucky I left my wallet at ho-" I was cut off by Lois pushing me into the ledge and kissing me. I was so shocked I stopped swimming and had to grab onto the edge to stop drowning. "What the hell are you doing?!" I pushed her away and flinched back.

"I thought you liked girls?"

"I do but not you! I mean- I have a girlfriend. I stopped being people's experimental trials a long time ago." I pulled myself out of the pool and picked up my shoes. "I'm going to be late for work." I ignored Lois and headed off to search for my car. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"What happened to your clothes?" Alexander took off his glasses and put down the papers he was reading.

"Nothing of importance. What do you want me to make?"

"Hmm. Don't be late again, Bella." He put his glasses back on and started writing. "Make the cocktails I taught you and I'll see if you've improved. If you have, I'll teach you another drink. If you need help, ask me." I nodded and headed behind the bar.

"Question, do you work? I mean, I haven't seen you up front in the week I've worked here."

"I don't have time to spare to pull pints. When my father died, I became more involved in paperwork and stock than the piano or bartending."

"Sorry 'bout that." I poured Coke in the glass 'til it reached the top. "I know a Long island iced tea isn't exactly the drink to drown your misery in but, here you go." I slid the glass next to the seven other drinks; Cosmo, Manhattan, Margarita, Martini, Tom Collins, Fuzzy Navel, Apple Martini.

"You've become quicker." Alexander walked over to the bar and examined each glass. "Hmm." He took a sip from each one then went back to his paperwork. "Very nice. Well done."

"Wow, was that a compliment, Alexander? You must be in a good mood." I heard him hum. "Oh, there it goes. What do you want me to make?"

"Nothing, but I need you to work, now." He took off his glasses and closed the file, taking it into his office.

"What?" I followed him and watched him pull out an extra waistcoat. "No, no, you can't spring this on me. Why can't you call in Denise?"

"It would not be fair to her, after all she's working tonight."

"What if I'm busying? You're expecting me to drop my plans?"

"Are you busy?"

"No, but that's beside the point-"

"It is the point. You are working Bella, and that's final." He pushed the waistcoat in my hands as he left the room. I gritted my teeth and resisted the urge to strangle him with it. I put the cocktails away in the fridge and wiped down the bar, turned on the coffee machine, and sat down on my ass.

A couple people came in, someone dicked about on the piano, and I once again resisted the urge to kill Alexander. "I'm taking a break," I walked passed Alexander, ignoring his hum, and lit up a cigarette, first one in three days. "Oh, sweet air." I checked my phone and saw I had three missed calls from Jasper and one from Alice.

"Bella," Jasper's voice came through quiet. "I'm in class, what do you want?"

"Why have you called me three times? That's more than Alice and I'm sleeping with her."

"Yes, very funny. I'll call you back in five minutes." Click. Five minutes later, Jasper phoned back. "Where are you? Alice called me and told me you weren't home or picking up your phone. And why weren't you answering me?"

"Jasper, calm the fuck down, you're reacting worse than Alice. I wasn't home because I'm working and I didn't answer either of you 'cause I turned my phone on silent 'cause I'm working. She couldn't've been that worried, she only called once."

"Bella, do you remember what day it is?"

"Uhh... Thursday, 16th, I think. Why, what's so special?"

"What's so... Bella, it's your anniversary – Alice and yours first anniversary."

"No it isn't, it's tomorrow. Jesus, Jasper, calm down, you think I'm doing to fuck up at every corner. I gotta go, homo, before Alexander goes ape shit."

"No, no, Bella, listen to me. It's today, Alice called me to ask if you were with me. You need to go home and hope Alice isn't going to kill you."

"Oh, fucking Christ." I hung up and went back inside. "Alexander, I have to go."

"No, you haven't finished yet."

"Fire me then." I threw my waistcoat at him and rushed to my car and drove home. "Alice!" I burst through the door and promptly leaned against it. "Fuck, we've got to move to a place with an elevator." I checked in the bedroom, living room, and kitchen and she wasn't here. "Oh, for fuck sake." I slumped on the couch and looked at my phone. No new messages.

I changed clothes and laid back on the couch. Alice came in ten minutes later. "Hey, you got champagne." I rolled off the couch and took the bottle from her and poured two glasses.

"No flowers, no candles, you didn't even dress nice. Happy anniversary to me."

"Hey, I bought you a $1000 book for your birthday. I don't have to buy you anything nice for at least two years." I gave her her glass and sat back down on the couch. "First anniversary... I owe Charlotte ten bucks."

"I feel so loved." She sat next to me and threw her legs over my lap. "When did Jasper call you to remind you?"

"What're you talking about? Jasper never called me." I rested my glass on her shin as my other hand stroked just above her knee. "I would never forget our first year together, that would be-"

"Bella."

"At work. Alexander had me doing the early shift but I cut it short when the homo called."

"You left in the middle of work? Won't that make Alexander mad?"

"Probably. Oh well," I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "I may have forgotten our anniversary but I wasn't going to miss it."

"That makes no sense."

"I don't act all sweet and romantic by nature, roll with it. What do you want to do today? Anything you want and we'll do it."

"Anything at all? Fly to the Himalayas and reach spiritual enlightenment?"

"Sure, but you'll have to dip into your own pockets, I'm poor as fuck." She only smiled. "What?" She shook her head and took my glass out of my hand and put it along with hers on the table, and then crawled into my lap.

"There's probably a city's worth of people who I should be with," Well, fuck, I was going to get dump on a first anniversary. You know, I thought we had at least two years in us but then again, I've never been good at estimating. God, Jasper's going to tear me a new one when word reaches him. He'll probably tie me to a chair until I tell him every little detail of tonight. I felt someone slap my cheek. I cupped my cheek and glared at Alice. "Bella, are you paying me any attention?"

"Yeah, of course. There's a whole city out there you will date." She slapped my forehead. "Ow! For fuck sake, can you stop that? I'm just repeating what you said."

"If you were listening to me you would've heard me saying, yes, there are people out there who share my interests, aren't as crass or lewd as you, but you..." She smiled and brought her hands under my hair, running her thumbs behind my ear and down some of my neck. "You're flawed and not perfect but that's why I love you."

"So you love me 'cause I'm a project? An old toy that needs sewing up and a new eye."

"No, I love you because you are you. Can you imagine how boring a relationship without you would be? If I was with someone who was calm and collected, logical and... safe, it would be unbelievable dull."

"I'm not calm, not collected and not logical? Mmm, I sound like a catch."

"You know what I mean." I hummed and put my hands on her thighs, going to hip then back down to knee, and up again. Alice raised her eyebrow and I grinned.

...

"Bella," Lawrence put down the chalk. "You are early." It's true. It was five minutes before class and I normally stumble in about ten minutes passed. "What can I do for you, girl?"

"I need you to sign this, I'm dropping out." I handed him the note I was given.

He looked disappointed as he looked down at the paper. "That is a shame. You made things... interesting." He handed it back to me. "I hope you find your way." I nodded and left the room, dropped off the note, and ran into Lois outside.

"Hi, Bella. Come on, class is starting." She grabbed my hand and started pulling me. I dug my heels into the ground and twisted my hand away.

"Yeah, no. I just left this place for good and am now a full-time barfly."

"You dropped out? Why? If it's because of what happened yesterday, I'm sorry, it was-"

"Whoa, that's a bit self-centred of you. I'm dropping out 'cause I'm working, and I don't want to wake up at stupid o'clock to sit in a room to listen to people argue. I'll see you around." I found my car around the corner and drove to the bar. I knocked on the glass and a minute later Alexander appeared and let me in.

"You're early."

"Yeah, I wanna talk to you about something." I took up one of the round tables facing the stage and patted the chair next to me. Alexander frowned but sat down. "It's about the business and how to get in some more money."

Alexander's face looked like it was carved out of stone. "You're going to sit here and tell me how to run my business, this business that has been running successfully for twenty years? What do you know of this market?"

"I know that in this shit economy people cannot spend as much as they would like. You know the first things that get cut off? Frivolous spending; interior designers, personal shoppers, you know what the next thing is? Restaurants and bars, and not the run of the mill dive bars; lounge bars, wine bars, piano bars, us. So, to pick up the slack, we have to bring in food-"

"No," Alexander slammed his palm on the table. "I am not having greasy food stinking the entire place."

"No, no, of course not. I'm not talking about fry ups and things swimming in their own fat and grease, I'm thinking along the lines of sandwiches, salads, light stuff, things that don't have to be cooked. I've seen when you first open up and I gotta say, I've seen more action at a funeral. Traffic picks at what, one? You need to bring in food to pick up the slack. You have a coffee machine, you have a kitchen even though you did a great job covering it up, you have a great spot with the docks next-door and you're downtown."

Alexander only hummed. He went into his office and came back with two files. "This file contains the takings and this is the budget. Tell me where we have the extra money for this? Do you have the ability to rub your hands together and coins fall?"

I grabbed the black file and resisted the urge to beat him with it. I looked through and... yeah. "Wait, what about this? A paid pianist every week? You're wasting $100 a week, that's $500 a month, a month!"

"If there wasn't a pianist, this wouldn't be called a piano bar. What do you suggest?"

"Make it every two weeks or every month. The rest of the time it can be like an open mic."

"Very well, we'll have idiots mucking about on the piano, creating god awful noises and running off my customers."

"Your clientele isn't like that. You don't get drunken morons that make asses out of themselves. I believe the people who would play on the piano wouldn't do it if they didn't know how to play it or were beginning to learn. I believe you would get experienced players who know all kinds of songs or people who would know a couples of songs. Look, if it doesn't work out, if you get a bunch of dicks fucking about, chuck the whole idea and go back to five hundred a month."

He huffed through his nose like a pissed off bull. "We take away money from the pianist, which makes this bar what it is, and give it to a cook?"

"Yes, but you get in more people with food than you do with music. Get a friend who'll do the job on friends rates, and if the food is a big success then you can bring back your beloved pianist every two weeks." I closed the file and handed it back to him.

"Hmm. Go practice your cocktails."

**XxX**

**Hmm... hmm. A heads up, expect great delays, big big big delays, Great wall of China sized delays.**

**Can you guys review to give me a kick up the arse?**


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